The sequel to the Pokemon card game, more generous, with new second generation cards and fresh clubs. Refined mechanics, a fun Grand Rocket storyline and a monstrous lifespan. A success sadly stuck in Japan.
Your verdict
Category
Card Battle2 players3+
Description
Sequel to the Pokémon card game where the Great Rocket Team has stolen the legendary Master Cards and the player must retrieve them. Published by Hudson, released in Japan in March 2001. Card duels with all-new Gen 2 cards, new island clubs to challenge, original storyline. Japan exclusive.
Pokemon Card GB 2 - GR Dan Sanjou! review
4/5
Art direction
★★★★★
"Striking"
4/5
Music
★★★★★
"Excellent"
3/5
Story
★★★★★
"Solid"
The Japanese sequel dresses its world in menace: the Team GR hideouts replace the welcoming clubs of the first game, with darker interiors and uniformed characters. The deck-building interface remains at the heart of the artwork, the cards reproduced in miniature with enough fidelity for the original illustration to be recognisable.
The audio contrast with the first game is clear: the welcoming themes give way to duller motifs for the enemy hideouts, built on a repeated bass and sustained chords. The duels, on the other hand, keep a brisk writing, and the victory fanfare, almost unchanged, acts as a reassuring landmark from one game to the next.
Gameplay
"Excellent"
Fun
"From the very first seconds"
The Pokémon card game comes alive as an adventure: you roam clubs, challenge champions and build your deck card by card. The thrill of drawing the right combo and turning a losing duel around quickly grows addictive. Strategic yet welcoming, it charms collectors and the curious alike.
Addictiveness
"Obsessive"
Taking on Team GR, winning boosters then tweaking your deck to make it sharper extends the addictive cycle of the first adventure. Tracking down a rare card, testing a new synergy and aiming for the next duel keeps motivation constant. The system evolves little, but this quest for the perfect combination keeps a formidable effectiveness.
Difficulty
"Easy"
Lifespan
"Massive"
Recovering the Master Cards stolen by Team Rocket extends the card game with new opponents and new cards. Refining your decks, winning boosters and completing your collection fills long hours. That surplus of content, grafted onto an addictive duel loop, offers a lifespan dear to card-battle fans.
Complete: box, manual and disc/cart very clean. Lightly handled.
Q1 damagedQ6 completeQ10 new
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Collector interest
A 2001 sequel that never left Japan, with no translation or reissue anywhere else. Unlike the first game, even the loose cartridge commands high prices, reflecting a tighter late-life GBC print run and demand from fans with no localized alternative. The added second-generation cards and the Team Rocket storyline make it the more sought of the two Pokémon card games on the handheld.
Is Pokemon Card GB 2 - GR Dan Sanjou! still worth playing in 2026?
Pokemon Card GB 2 - GR Dan Sanjou! extends the excellent card game adaptation, with an original story in which Team Rocket steals the Master Cards, new clubs to challenge and second-generation cards. The strategic heart of deck building and TCG-faithful duels stays just as sharp, enriched by more abundant content. Kept exclusive to Japan, it speaks to fans of the first version and to card-game enthusiasts ready to deal with the language barrier.
